The 15 Greatest Beds: Past and Present

1. The Great Bed of Ware

Made just prior to the turn of the century in 1590-1600, this Vredeman de Vries bed is among the most famous ancient beds in the world. This carved oak piece was originally painted and features stunning panels of marquetry. Currently housed in the British Galleries, this bed is best known for being quite enormous during its time, as it measures over 128 inches across. Shakespeare was so inspired by the bed that he makes a small mention of it in his infamous play ‘Twelfth Night.’

2. The Private Cloud

The Private Cloud is a German-designed and built bed that’s both simplistic and stylized. Notable for its use of curves and light wood finish, this bed was created to function like a rocking chair, as inhabitants can sway gently back and forth while they sleep.

3. BedUP

Designed by Decadrages and built to look as inconspicuous as possible, the BedUP is a space-saving bed that generations of cramped apartment-dwellers certainly wish they had around for personal use. Able to save up to 13 square feet of space in floor plan, the BedUP retracts into the ceiling when not in use.

4. Feel Seating System

Technically, this bed model is actually a regular seat, though it was designed with the idea of multiple uses in mind. The Feel Seating System can be contorted by the user and reworked into a variety of shapes, so one can sleep, lounge, or dangle any which way she likes. The model contains 120 spheres made of sofa-like material and covered with elastic fabric, and the bright colors in use help to make this a stunningly modern piece. Now they just need to make these into bunk beds so that all kinds of crazy rearrangements can be performed!

5. William Morris’ Bed

This early 17th century bed is remarkable more for its artistic influence than its actual design, though its remarkable craftsmanship has been well-preserved over the centuries. William Morris wrote a poem inspired by this bed, and his family was involved in its design, building, and accessorizing as well. In fact, Morris’ youngest daughter, May, designed the curtains and bed cover for her father’s artistically-inspiring piece of furniture.

6. Queen Victoria’s Bed

Queen Victoria, ill near the end of her life, had to be transferred from her typical bed to a smaller, single-size version for easier bedside care. Draped in a beautiful bed cover that was presented to the Queen as a gift from China for the marking of her Jubilee in 1897, this bed is also adorned with the Queen’s two favorite pieces that she always kept near her bed: a pocket watch that belong to Prince Albert, as well as a photograph of the Prince after his passing. Hubert von Herkomer would later paint the Queen’s deathbed portrait while her body rested on this bed in 1901, and the royal family would keep this bedroom and piece as a personal shrine for the next half-century.

7. The Melville Bed

Adorned with long, luxurious red drapes that hang nearly to the floor, the Melville Bed is better known for its ornamental display than the bed frame itself. Made in 1700 and commissioned by George Melville himself, this stunning piece of centuries-old furniture was initially designed for use in the Earl of Melville’s new home in Fife.

8. Louis XIV’s Bed

Louis XIV of France took many personal visits from important statesmen of the day back during the 1700s, and there was no better place than his personal bed chamber. The bedchamber was actually designed from 1701 to serve as the exact center of the palace, and even one of the United States’ founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, visited the King in his bedchamber in 1778. This bed from Versaille has many red and gold elements, and is typically covered by thick drapes that only leave three small openings into the bed visible at any one time.

9. The Space Economizing Bed

This bed is the absolutely perfect bed for anyone who sleeps in this same specific position night after night. There’s not much else to say about this bed other than “don’t move an inch while you sleep!” Granted, if this was a top bunk on a set of wood bunk beds, the person at the bottom probably wouldn’t be very happy, but this piece gets style points for its unique (and humorous) take on modern bed design.

10. Float by Okooko

You may not be able to sail the seven seas in this bed, but you’ll want to after you take your first glance. Designed by David Trubridge for Okooko, the Float resembles an ancient sailing ship, and looks as though it could easily float on both clouds and water, though neither is actually possible. Trubridge incorporated elements from both historical boat designs as well as modern bed designs when crafting this piece, and this concept bed was voted the finest piece of bedroom furniture at the Furniture Fashion competition in New Zealand during its time on display.

11. The Lomme

The Lomme is probably an image that can define modern bed design in one glance. Shaped like an egg and featuring a smooth, white edifice reminiscent of Apple computer designs, the Lomme may look simple but its elegant nature masks its many features. Among them: a light therapy clock with alarm settings, a mattress massaging device, and a bed control unit that is actually an altered iPhone.

12. The Nappak

Need to take a quick nap but don’t have your bed around or a sleeping bag at the ready? The Nappak is the future of bed design for quick naps and portable carriage, as this piece is easily inflated and quickly stored. Plus, with an inflatable canopy-like cover, this is no ordinary air mattress picked up from your local department store, but something much greater.

13. The Rampbed

This bed may be designed for children, but let’s face it: any adult skater nerd would drool at the chance to sleep in this remarkably well-crafted piece. Beds designed specifically for kids are often overlooked for more adult fare, but this piece is certainly worth of inclusion on our list. Why? The bed doubles as a skate ramp and a sleeping area, but beyond that, look at the quality of the woodwork and other incredibly fun features, such as the skateboard wheels being used as drawer handles for the built-in storage units.

14. The Napshell

The item in the image above looks like it could be almost anything when not shown to scale, and this bed certainly looks closer to the handle for some futuristic iron than a place to sleep when first glanced. The Napshell, however, definitely won’t fit on an ironing board, though there really only is room for one on this bed. Designed for proper back posture and avoiding straight lines of any kind, this bed is the perfect addition to the bedroom of anyone who has recurring night terrors about right angles.

15. The Sonic Bed

Music nerds and rock stars finally have a bed that was specially designed for them. The Sonic Bed is unique in that it requires plenty of power to operate, 220 volts to be exact. This power won’t go to waste, however. All those volts will be feeding the speakers built into the indented bed frame, where sleepers will be deafened for sleep with pervasive noise production. It may sound startling and unsettling, but is done primarily to drown out noises outside the bed.